cruise missile

noun

: a guided missile that has a terrain-following radar system and that flies at moderate speed and low altitude

Examples of cruise missile in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Also, a Russian cruise missile killed two 15-year-old girls in the northern city of Chernihiv, and three civilians died when a Russian drone hit an apartment block in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, authorities said. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026 Also, a Russian cruise missile killed two 15-year-old girls in the northern city of Chernihiv, and three more civilians died when a Russian drone hit an apartment block in the central Ukraine city of Kremenchuk, authorities said. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 Its weapons portfolio includes stand-off cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, including nuclear-capable systems. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026 This equipment—which includes Japanese components used to guide Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles—has been essential to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. — Sam Mullins, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cruise missile

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cruise missile was in 1959

Rhymes for cruise missile

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Browse Nearby Words

cruise control
cruise missile
cruiser
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Cite this Entry

“Cruise missile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruise%20missile. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cruise missile

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cruise missile

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